A naive n00b question(s)

[lemaudit63]

I know I can get a lot of the granular answers to technical questions here and on other forums, but I have some n00b questions that are weighing on me and are a bit more philosophical. I've been building sites for several years now, but never with the intention of making money from them. I now have a photo site for my wife (a professional photographer) and a couple fun political social blogs and sites for myself. And I am starting to look into product sites with reviews and recommendations. So here are my questions (and I apologize in advance for my naivete):

1. Is it possible to make a decent income (5-10k/month) with an ethical, informative site and affiliate links?

2. Is there any benefit and more importantly danger in cloaking links with a product like get-shorty? I'm not talking about three pages of just links. I'm talking a two - three paragraph article with an affiliate link to the site discussed.

3.Can you recover from a stupid mistake, ie if I realized a redesign in a month could I improve my rank and hits?

4. Am I naive or correct in thinking that while black hat BS can make a lot of money, sustainable and lasting sites are ethical and white/grey hat.

5. How do I avoid making google mad?

I know these are probably eye rollers, but that's why I signed up. And I enjoy being flogged

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi lemaudit63,

Your questions are really good ones and you won't get "flogged" here. However it's best to ask 1 or 2 related Qs in different posts. When you write this many random Qs in one post people tend to feel overwhelmed and shy away from answering. I don't have time to answer them all but I will attempt a couple.

1) Yes but could take 2-3 years for the 'average' affiliate. Work hard and get lucky and it could happen sooner.

2) Don't use get shorty or tinyurl anything like that - they look spammy. Use HTACCESS redirects. The link would look like yoursite.com/productname
If you don't know how to do it, search or ask and we'll point you to info.

4) Yes

 

[lemaudit63]

thank you Linda for taking the time to answer what you could. It's much appreciated.

 

[Matomy Market]

In answer to number 1, you probably are aware from years alive on this planet that quality doesn't necessarily ensure wealth. Cheap sites that cater to the lowlifes make a TON of money, but you may feel you've sold your soul, while an "ethical, informative site" may take you years to really earn from.
So, what's your timeline? I would offer that you do both at the same time and lose the crap once you've attained success with your babies.

 

[lemaudit63]

wow, that's a bit cynical, but I'm sure probably true to a degree.

 

[Linda Buquet]

In answer to number 1, you probably are aware from years alive on this planet that quality doesn't necessarily ensure wealth. Cheap sites that cater to the lowlifes make a TON of money, but you may feel you've sold your soul, while an "ethical, informative site" may take you years to really earn from.
So, what's your timeline? I would offer that you do both at the same time and lose the crap once you've attained success with your babies.

Bad advice to give a newbie in my opinion.

There is no guarantee that "Cheap sites that cater to the lowlifes" are going to make any money, be faster or easier. They sure aren't sustainable. There are lots of ways to make money with methods that don't make you feel like you are selling your soul.

 

[Matomy Market]

Hey Linda
You're totally right. I didn't mean for that to come off so negative. What's so great in my opinion is that you can learn a lot in affiliate marketing working every angle there is. It's such a dynamic business and each market and niche is important.
Thanks for the critique.

 

[lemaudit63]

wow I went from bitter and jaded to warm and fuzzy in record time - thanks for the input.